Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1136-7W, on children: day care, how many and what proportion of nursery pupils travelled to and from nursery  (a) by car,  (b) by public transport,  (c) on foot and  (d) by bicycle in each year since records are available.

Beverley Hughes: Information on pupils' mode of travel to school was collected for the first time in spring 2007, and was compulsory only for those schools with an approved Travel Plan.
	The available information was provided in my answer of 8 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1136-7W.
	Updated information relating to spring 2008 is expected to be available by the end of June 2008.

Eco-Towns: Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the new Planning Policy Statement on eco-towns will be location-specific.

Caroline Flint: Yes the eco-towns policy statement will be place specific, and will be an important material consideration in the determination of any planning application for an eco-town, particularly where the development plan is silent or out of date.

Eco-Towns: Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether planning guidance for eco-towns will be site-specific.

Caroline Flint: Yes, the Eco-towns Policy Statement will be place specific, and will be an important material consideration in the determination of any planning application for an eco-town, particularly where the Development Plan is silent or out of date.

Eco-Towns: Planning

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the approach in the draft planning policy statement on eco-towns will follow the approach to national policy statements envisaged in the Planning Bill, with particular reference to local publicity, consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

Caroline Flint: The draft Eco-towns Policy Statement will not be a national policy statement for the purpose of the Planning Bill, and therefore will not be covered by the provisions on consultation set out in it. However I can assure you that we will be publicly consulting on the draft Eco-towns Policy Statement, which we expect to publish in July.

Housing: Derelict Land

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 740W, on housing: derelict land, what proportion of new dwellings built in 2006 were built on previously residential land, broken down by  (a) county and  (b) local authority area, presenting the data in a manner consistent with that of her answer of 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1524W, on brownfield development.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 740-41W.
	This information was taken from the Department's Land Use Change Statistics (LUCS). Because of the way that LUCS data are collected, the statistics are variable from year to year. At spatial scales below the regional level investigation has shown that annual figures are highly volatile and not robust. Information for local authorities and counties were therefore given as multi-year averages.

Local Government: Pensions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the cash value was of payments made by local authority employers, including secondary contributions, to the local government pensions scheme in each year since 1996-97;
	(2)  what the estimated cost to employers of the Local Government Pension Scheme was in each financial year since 1996-97 in  (a) actual terms and  (b) excluding the 20 per cent. of costs which relate to non-local authority employers.

John Healey: The amount of contributions paid by English local authority employers in the Local Government Pension Scheme, excluding the 20 per cent. of costs which relate to non-local authority employers, for the period 1996-97 to 2006-07 is shown in the following table. These data relate to payments made under the scheme that ceased to have effect on 31 March 2008. Since then, contributions paid by employers and employees continue to be made under the new Local Government Pension Scheme which came into effect on 1 April 2008.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Total cost  Total cost  excluding estimated non-local authority employer costs of 20 per cent. 
			 1996-97 1,322 1,058 
			 1997-98 1,520 1,216 
			 1998-99 1,788 1,430 
			 1999-2000 1,972 1,578 
			 2000-01 2,273 1,818 
			 2001-02 2,617 2,094 
			 2002-03 2,916 2,333 
			 2003-04 3,217 2,574 
			 2004-05 3,544 2,835 
			 2005-06 4,124 3,300 
			 2006-07 4,626 3,701 
		
	
	These data represent the actual amount of contributions paid by employers participating in the scheme according to annual returns submitted to the Department by scheme administering authorities in England.. The returns include all contributions paid by scheme employers.

Regional Planning and Development

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the responsibilities of the Local Government Task Force are; and when it was established;
	(2)  in what projects the Local Government Task Force is currently involved;
	(3)  what funds the Local Government Task Force received from the public purse in each year since it was established.

John Healey: The role of the Local Government Taskforce (LGTF), since its establishment in 2000, has been to embed good construction principles in local government and provide a link between local government and the construction sector. The LGTF has also taken the lead role in supporting delivery of the construction procurement strands of the Efficiency Review. Funding and priorities for 2008-09 are currently under discussion. Figures available to Communities and Local Government (CLG) on resource allocated by CLG and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (including their predecessor Departments) to the LGTF since 2003-04 are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Funding to LGTF 2003-08 
			  £ 
			   CLG funding  (exc. VAT)  DTI/ BERR funding  (exc. VAT) 
			 2003-04 74,000.00 175,000.00 
			 2004-05 175,000.00 18,800.00 
			 2005-06 175,000.00 0.00 
			 2006-07 175,000.00 — 
			 2007-08 175,000.00 40,000.00

Social Rented Housing: Foreigners

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many new  (a) local authority social lettings and  (b) registered social landlord lettings were made to foreign nationals from (i) EU member states and (ii) non-EU states in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals obtained a tenancy of social housing without holding an existing social housing tenancy in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: I would like to apologise for the delay in answering these question.
	Information on the number of foreign national households allocated social housing is collected in the Continuous Recording of Letting form (CORE). A question on nationality was first introduced to the form for the 2006-07 data collection period. CORE is collected on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government by St. Andrew's University. Historically CORE has only collected information from registered social landlords. An increasing number of local authorities are now providing information through this process as well, but there are still some gaps in the data.
	In 2006-07 for registered social landlords, there were 1,769 new general needs lettings made to foreign nationals from European Economic Area (EEA) countries and 2,259 from non-EEA countries.
	Adjusting for missing data from local authorities, we estimate there were around 7,000 general needs local authority lets to foreign nationals. It is not possible to estimate the split between EEA and non-EEA foreign nationals.
	Overall, we estimate that around 6 per cent. (equivalent to around 11,000) new general needs lettings were made to foreign nationals in 2006-07. This estimate adjusts for missing local authority data, and includes lets made to nationals from EEA countries.
	These estimates are the first to be made on the basis of a full year's information and are therefore the most robust information available.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he expects the Piranha V future rapid effect system utility vehicle to come into service; and how many he plans to order;
	(2)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 8 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 39-40WS, on the future rapid effect system utility vehicle design decision, what the next stage of the utility vehicle programme will be; when he expects that stage to be concluded; and how much it will cost;
	(3)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 8 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 39-40WS, on the future rapid effect system military vehicle design decision, what the proposed package of work on risk reduction will consist of; when he expects this work to be completed; and how much it will cost.

Bob Ainsworth: The date by which the Utility Vehicle will enter service and how many will be ordered will be set at the time of the main investment decision. The next stage in the FRES Utility Vehicle programme will be the Demonstration Phase. Its duration and cost will be agreed at the time of the relevant investment decision.
	Prior to the Demonstration Phase we will conduct a package of risk reduction work to further increase our confidence that the selected design is capable of delivering the required level of performance. In addition to addressing performance issues, the risk reduction work will also allow the designer to review aspects of their exploitation plans for future phases of the Utility Vehicle programme with regard to estimates of cost, risk and schedule. The duration and cost of this risk reduction work will be the subject of negotiations between the MOD and the vehicle designer.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1924W, on the departmental internet, from which networks write access to Wikipedia has been blocked; when the decision to block them was made; for what reasons it was made; and if he will place in the Library his Department's documentation of the decision.

Derek Twigg: We have blocked write access to Wikipedia via the MOD Enterprise Gateway Service (EGS). This covers MOD's basic level (Restricted/Unclassified) Wide Area Network, servicing the vast majority of MOD's office-based IT systems.
	A number of minor systems can access the internet directly; these are either older systems, or those under local control which have specific business requirements which make them unsuitable for connection to the main Wide Area Network. Such systems will not be blocked from accessing Wikipedia.
	More highly protected networks have never had internet access, and so cannot access Wikipedia.
	The decision to block write access to Wikipedia via the EGS was taken on 30 November 2007 by staff of the Director General Information (DGInfo) and the Joint Security Co-ordination Centre (JSyCC). There was no compelling business reason to have the facility to update Wikipedia.
	An exchange of emails at desk level documented the decision, and the method to be followed. I am withholding these emails as in order to safeguard national security, this information is not placed in the public domain.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008,  Official Report, column 484W, on radioactive materials: transport, what plans he has to ensure that the refurbished truck cargo heavy duty trailers and newly purchased tractor heads are compliant with regulations on radiation hazard, with particular reference to the carrying of radiation hazard warning signs when loaded with special nuclear materials; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The regulations governing the transport of radioactive material, including the requirements for radiation hazard warning signs, are the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Transportable Pressure Vessel Regulations 2007. Provision exists within these for radioactive materials defined as instruments of war, or components thereof, to be exempt. Notwithstanding, arrangements have been put in place for the transportation of special nuclear material that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, at least as good as those required by legislation.
	Hazard warning signs are generally intended to provide information to responding emergency services in the event of an incident. The Ministry of Defence police escorting convoys have this and more information to hand. All factors, including security, will be taken into account in determining whether hazard signs will appear on the replacement vehicles when carrying special nuclear material.

Veterans

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the assistance given to soldiers to prepare for life upon return from tours of duty in theatres of operation.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 15 May 2008
	Prior to deploying on operations soldiers receive welfare and personal briefings that are intended to assist them in coping with the demands of operational tours and the subsequent return from theatre. These briefings are supplemented by a booklet and a DVD.
	At the end of an operational tour personnel leaving theatre will go through a 24-36 hours period of 'decompression', prior to return to their home base. This enables them to unwind physically and mentally and to talk to colleagues and superiors about their experiences. Personnel also attend mandatory briefings during this period, designed to help them manage the transition to normal life. On return to the home base, and prior to the mandatory post operational leave, soldiers go through a normalisation process. This lasts for up to five days and is a structured programme of briefings and activities to help the re-adjustment to non-operational service life in barracks. Access to specialised mental healthcare is available at every stage of the process, as is access to the Army's comprehensive range of welfare services.
	For those leaving the operational theatre with illness or injuries it is often not practical for them to undergo decompression or normalisation. Those hospitalised at Selly Oak are visited at least daily by the Service Brigade Liaison Officers and the Defence Medical Welfare Staff. Arrangements are also made for their families to visit them as soon as possible to offer additional bedside comfort and support after their arrival in a UK hospital. They can also be counselled by Army welfare staff and, where appropriate, referred for more specialist treatment. For those who are evacuated from theatre to home sick- leave the Army Sickness Absence Management process involves regular unit representative contact until individuals return to their units or are discharged from the Army. Where support requirements are identified before discharge an action plan is developed with the Veterans Welfare Service that ensures support continues for at least two years beyond discharge where necessary.
	The Army has also recently implemented Trauma Risk Management (TRiM). This aims to identify at the earliest possible stage those who may have been affected by traumatic incidents so that appropriate counselling, or other forms of treatment, can be arranged for them.

Burma: Sanctions

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008,  Official Report, column 640W, on Burma: sanctions, whether a date has been set for the presentation of the conclusions drawn from discussions between the UK and its EU partners on how best to target financial transactions owned or controlled by Burmese officials; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The UK has shared proposals for targeting financial transactions with the European Commission and EU member states. Discussions are continuing at a technical level in Brussels.
	It is too early to say when these will be concluded.

Maldives: Elections

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to support media and election monitoring in the Maldives in the run up to multi-party elections; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Howells) gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 27 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1704W.
	We are working closely with the BBC, the Maldives Ministry of Information and the Maldives Media Association to promote media freedom and skills development.

Maldives: Elections

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of the Maldives on the  (a) establishment of (i) an election commission, (ii) a judicial commission and (iii) an anti-corruption commission ahead of the multi-party elections and  (b) on the subsequent operation of such commissions.

Meg Munn: In a meeting with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in April the Maldivian Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid, stated that an Interim Election Commission would be created within 30 days of the ratification of the new constitution. He underlined that the deliberations of the Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) were nearly complete. Foreign Minister Shahid told us that the Commission would be responsible for all elections-related matters and that all registered political parties would be able to nominate Commissioners.
	We have had no specific discussions on other commissions, but in his statement to EU Parliamentarians and officials on 6 May, Ahmed Sareer, Chargé d'affaires at the Maldives Mission to the EU, confirmed that an Interim Judicial Service Commission and an Anti Corruption Commission would be created within 30 and 60 days respectively of the introduction of the new constitution.

Pakistan: Terrorism

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1105W, on Pakistan: terrorism, 
	(1)  in how many of the six cases British consular access was  (a) requested and  (b) granted;
	(2)  in how many of the six cases the detainee complained of mistreatment.

Meg Munn: Of these six cases, two were mono British nationals and four were dual British/Pakistani nationals. We sought consular access to the two mono British nationals and were given full consular access in one case. We have also requested, but are yet to be given, consular access to one dual national on exceptional grounds in accordance with our published policy on the death penalty.
	Of the six cases mentioned, four have alleged mistreatment whilst in Pakistani custody.

Somalia: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of extrajudicial executions allegedly committed in Somalia by Transitional Federal Government forces, Ethiopian forces and other armed groups; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: On 6 May, Amnesty International published a report alleging extrajudicial killing by Transitional Federal government forces, Ethiopian forces and other armed groups. The Ethiopian government have categorically denied the claims.
	We are very concerned about human rights abused committed in Somalia. Where breaches of humanitarian law are proved, we will condemn them unreservedly and expect those responsible to be held to account.
	We have supported the UN Human Rights Council in renewing the mandate of the international expert for Somalia and have asked the UN to produce a comprehensive plan, and to build capacity to monitor and report on the human rights situation there. To be effective and have a sustainable impact, measures to combat human rights abuses should be part of a broad approach to peace-building.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of responsibility for the recent attacks on villages, markets and populated areas in Umm Sidir, Ein Bassar and Shegeg Karo in north Darfur; and what representations he has made to the Sudanese government about the attacks.

Meg Munn: We strongly condemn the recent aerial bombings by the government of Sudan in north Darfur, which resulted in the deaths of a number of civilians. We told government of Sudan representatives, at the Sudan Consortium of 5-7 May, that such actions were unacceptable and in direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1591. We will consider farther measures against any party that fails to respect their responsibility under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.
	We have also strongly condemned the recent attack by the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group on Omdurman which, on 11 May, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary described as a "shocking further escalation of violence in Sudan". We have reiterated the UN Secretary-General's call on 10 May for an immediate end to the fighting and for all parties to do everything they can to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Departmental Managers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role his Department's National Clinical Director for Service Reconfiguration is playing in Lord Darzi's review of the NHS in England.

Ann Keen: All of the national clinical directors have been involved in the review, commensurate with their roles as national clinical leaders in their particular fields. For example, they have been available to discuss with the local clinical pathway groups in each national health service region the evidence base in their particular areas of expertise. In his role as National Clinical Director for Emergency Access and National Clinical Director for Service Design, Professor Sir George Albert! has advised on clinical quality and safety and clear patient pathways.

Doctors: Working Hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1258W, on doctors: working hours, if he will publish the dossier to which the Answer refers.

Ann Keen: holding answer 15 May 2008
	The independent research on the impact of the European Working Time Directive on medical training by Sheffield university will be published in summer 2008.

Doctors: Working Hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1514W, on the NHS: working hours, which other member states are seeking changes to the European Working Time Directive.

Ann Keen: holding answer 15 May 2008
	There is consensus among member states regarding changes needed to the European Working Time Directive to address the SiMAP and Jaeger issues.

Health Services: Children

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 251-2W, on children: health services, what estimate he has made of the number of additional health visitors to be recruited for the Child Health Promotion Programme.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave her on 7 May,  Official Report, column 1017W.

Borders: Personal Records

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which high-risk countries travellers are subject to compulsory watch-list checks under the e-Borders programme.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 7 May 2008
	e-Borders currently receives data on 30 million passengers' movements per annum from 102 carriers serving 182 non-UK departure points. We cannot disclose greater detail of these routes as it could potentially prejudice our ability to maintain the integrity of the control.

Foreigners

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of foreign nationals were counted  (a) in and  (b) out of the UK under the border and immigration system in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 6 May 2008
	 During 2007, the e-Borders system received data from over 500 high risk routes, with annualised passenger figures of greater than 35 million, of which 15.4 million (44 per cent.) were foreign nationals (defined as non EEA nationals.)
	Data extrapolation for 2006 are currently not available in this format.

Frontiers: Security

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had with the Irish government on the introduction of the e-borders system in Great Britain; and what the outcome of those discussions was;
	(2)  what account has been taken of the implications of co-operation with the government of the Republic of Ireland for the functioning of an e-borders system around Great Britain; and what the likely effects are of such a system on the common travel area.

Liam Byrne: We continue to work closely with the government of the Republic of Ireland on operational, policy and legislative issues, including on the implementation of the e-Borders programme which is a key part of the Government's plans for securing our borders.
	As outlined in our 'Securing the UK Border' strategy, March 2007, we are, in collaboration with the Irish government, reviewing the rules and operation of the CTA (common travel area) to explore how mutual border security can be strengthened. The results of that review will be announced in due course.
	There is provision in the e-Borders contract for the supplier to provide data on passengers travelling from the Republic of Ireland to the UK although no decision has been made on how it will be captured because of the nature of CTA.

Immigration: Housing

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 806W, on immigration: housing, how many private sector providers have transferred existing properties to the private rented market; how many such units have been transferred; and what incentives have been offered to such private sector providers.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 March 2008
	The issue of whether a private sector provider has transferred existing properties to the private rented market, and the number of these, is a commercial matter for the provider concerned. The UK Border Agency has provided no incentives for providers to do this, although we have encouraged our private sector providers to co-operate with the programme, principally by allowing existing properties to transfer to the private rented market.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1921-22W, on departmental manpower, how many of the employees under 18 years of age are receiving at least one day's training per week.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice encourages learning and development opportunities for all staff regardless of age. In line with the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 there is no specific age-related training for staff under the age of 18. All staff receive training to support them in undertaking their day to day duties as well as having access to classroom based courses and alternative learning and development solutions as required.

Prison Service: Working Conditions

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government is taking to improve conditions of work for prison staff.

David Hanson: Workforce modernisation formed a recommendation in Lord Carter's report 'Securing the Future.' The Workforce Modernisation Programme was formed to focus on developing new pay and grading for all staff working in National Offender Management Service and new workforce structures for all staff working in prison. New pay and grading structures will be underpinned by the new Job Evaluation System to ensure that pay and reward is fair across our different staffing groups. However, development of the different projects shaping aspects of the programme are in their early stages and no decisions have been made on whether changes to terms and conditions will be required.

Prisoners: Suicide

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many women committed suicide while in prison and  (a) on and  (b) not on suicide watch in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many men aged 18 to 25 years committed suicide while in prison and  (a) on and  (b) not on suicide watch in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many men committed suicide while in prison and  (a) on and  (b) not on suicide watch in each of the last 10 years;
	(4)  how many people committed suicide in prison while  (a) on and  (b) not on suicide watch in each of the last 10 years;
	(5)  how many people committed suicide in custody in each of the last 10 years;
	(6)  how many women aged 18 to 25 years committed suicide while in prison and  (a) on and  (b) not on suicide watch in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The term 'suicide watch' is not employed in National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
	However, Any prisoner identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm will be cared for using the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) procedures. ACCT is the prisoner-centred flexible care-planning system introduced across the prisons estate in partnership with the Department of health during 2005-07 to replace the old F2052SH system. All at-risk prisoners are subject to a minimum required frequency of staff supervision (conversations and observations) set by an individual case review. Such frequency can vary widely between different at-risk prisoners depending on the level of risk and the needs of the distressed individual.
	The following tables provide a response to the questions based on the use of ACCT or F2052SH at-risk care plans.
	
		
			  Table 1: Annual numbers of self-inflicted deaths( 1)  in prison between 1998 and 2007 with and without at-risk care plans 
			   Not on care plans  On care plans  Total self-inflicted deaths( 1) 
			 1998 57 26 83 
			 1999 75 16 91 
			 2000 57 24 81 
			 2001 51 22 73 
			 2002 72 23 95 
			 2003 67 27 94 
			 2004 76 19 95 
			 2005 53 25 78 
			 2006 51 16 67 
			 2007 69 23 92 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Annual numbers of self-inflicted deaths( 1 ) in prison between 1998 and 2007 with and without at-risk care plans, split by age and gender 
			   Male  Female  Male and female 
			   Not on care plan  On care plan  Not on care plan  On care plan  Total not on care plan  Total on care plan 
			  18 to 25 years   
			 1998 14 7 0 0 14 7 
			 1999 26 2 1 1 27 3 
			 2000 15 8 4 2 19 10 
			 2001 13 3 1 3 14 6 
			 2002 22 2 3 0 25 2 
			 2003 16 4 3 5 19 9 
			 2004 11 6 3 1 14 7 
			 2005 17 4 0 1 17 5 
			 2006 4 1 1 0 5 1 
			 2007 15 5 1 1 16 6 
			
			  >25 years   
			 1998 41 15 0 3 41 18 
			 1999 45 11 2 1 47 12 
			 2000 34 13 1 1 35 14 
			 2001 35 13 1 1 36 14 
			 2002 43 17 3 3 46 20 
			 2003 46 14 2 4 48 18 
			 2004 56 9 6 3 62 12 
			 2005 34 17 1 2 35 19 
			 2006 46 13 0 2 46 15 
			 2007 48 15 4 2 52 17 
			 (1) NOMS definition of prisoner self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government is taking to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

Jack Straw: In December 2007 the Government announced their response to Lord Carter of Coles' report on prisons, including measures to both increase the supply of prison places and reduce the demand for them.
	The Government are committed to increasing prison capacity by providing an additional 10,500 places, on top of their previously announced 9,500 place building programme, with the aim of achieving overall capacity of 96,000 places by 2014.
	The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act will give effect to measures recommended by Lord Carter to reduce the demand for prison places. These will start to have an impact later this year.
	The measures we are taking will ease the pressure on the prison estate. No prison will be expected to operate at a level of crowding beyond that agreed by the Prison Service area manager (or the Regional Offender Manager, in the case of a contracted prison).

Council Tax: Valuation

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 817-8W, on council tax: valuation, whether a statutory gateway will be introduced.

Jane Kennedy: Statutory gateways exist in so far as they are provided by Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 and other legislative provisions. This Department has no current plans to introduce further gateways.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposals to compensate those who lost out as a result of the abolition of the 10 pence tax rate will extend to people over the age of 65 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: In Budget 2007, the Government announced an increase the age-related allowances for taxpayers aged 65 or over of £1,180 above indexation from April 2008. This is worth £236 a year to people benefiting in full from the age-related allowances, greater than the £232 a year maximum loss from the withdrawal of the 10p rate.

Liam Byrne

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the ministerial responsibilities of the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill are within his Department.

Alistair Darling: Liam Byrne is the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration (Home Office) and Minister of State with responsibility for revenue protection at the border (HM Treasury).
	As a Treasury Minister Liam Byrne is responsible for the operational delivery of the UK Border Agency's (UKBA) revenue protection functions, delivery of targets covering revenue protection and the examination of goods at the frontier. Liam Byrne works closely with his Treasury ministerial colleagues to shape effective operational policy, based on the UKBA's experience of implementation.